We humans don't just want to be heard -- we want psychological safety and authentic connection. Much of what you find in this book is similar to what you might find if you read books on mediation or conflict management. It's more than just "how to make people think you are listening" but what makes people good communicators and how to really connect with other people.

The first 40-50% of this book was super enjoyable and a quick read. The remaining part of the book (about 25% of the ebook are thoroughly annotated references) almost reads like a couple of different long articles shuffled together to create a book-length work.

The author created this book as a result of doing his own personal research into why he was so personally "bad" at communication. He felt like he just was getting a lot of things wrong and decided to dig into the topic. He uses a lot of case study material - especially Netflix and a Harvard study of adult development.

The basic guidelines are:

1. Set some ground rules - what's okay? What's out of bounds? This helps prevent "kitchen sinking" and ground rules can also include time limits or cooling off periods.

2. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable -- feeling awkward is okay.

3. Accept mistakes, curiosity and understanding are more important than perfection.

4. The goal is to share - not persuade. You don't have to change someone's mind.

5. No blaming, shaming or attacks.

6. Speak about your own views and experiences.

7. Confidentiality is key - psychological safety is critical to authentic conversations.

8. Respect is essential.

9. Pause or step away if it's too painful to revisit a particular trauma or experience.

If you've read "Nonviolent Communication" by Marshall Rosenberg or participated in an NVC workship (https://www.cnvc.org/) -- these guidelines will not be novel. If you've ever gone through mediation training -- you'll have learned much of the same thing from books like "Crucial Conversations."

What Duhigg brings to the existing body of related work on this topic is an in-depth look at some more recent case studies. His reference section is also enjoyable and may turn up additional readings that you will find useful.

I love stories and Charles tells great emotional stories through this book! My favorite section how do we feel conversation. This is particularly important because I have struggled with this. The Guide at the end of this was very useful for me to take what the stories discussed, linking each section to application!

"Supercommunicators" by Charles Duhigg is an insightful exploration of effective communication in our increasingly interconnected world. Duhigg, known for his best-selling works on habits and productivity, applies his keen analytical skills to the art of conversation, highlighting how successful communicators navigate complex interactions.

The book delves into the techniques and strategies used by individuals who excel at conveying their ideas and building relationships. Duhigg examines various contexts—from personal to professional—illustrating how clarity, empathy, and engagement can transform communication.

With a blend of engaging storytelling and practical advice, "Supercommunicators" empowers readers to enhance their communication skills and foster deeper connections. It’s a valuable read for anyone looking to improve their ability to connect and resonate with others in today’s fast-paced environment.

4.5/5

Charles Duhigg is one of the authors I trust the most when it comes to these types of books, sometimes classified in the self/help category. His previous book, The Power of Habit, is probably my favorite book in the genre.

This book explore the scientific foundations of communications and included some real-life examples and anecdotes. Although there is a decent amount of scientific information in the book, there is humor that is spread out that helps with the pacing and read-ability for the average consumer. The concepts are easy to understand and digest and apply to real-life.

I have recommended this book in my own life and I will gladly recommend it here.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for the honest review.

I’m fascinated by how poorly we communicate. I have watched conversations where one party believes they are chatting about one topic and the other is saying something opposite and neither side can figure out what the other is talking about – or both believe they agree. Written words are not much better. Texting and social media have made this area even more complex.

I read Supercommunicators to see if there was a way to learn to avoid common pitfalls.

Duhigg’s newest book may indeed help you to improve your communication. He steps the reader through what he’s identified that makes some individuals super communicators, provides many example anecdotes as well as reviewing current research, and offers tools to apply. There are guidelines for hard conversations and even some guidance for online discussions (good luck with them).

In theory it’s simple and he posits that each conversation needs to answer three key questions: what (is it about), how (do we feel), and who (are we to connect to the discussion and find common ground). To be a super communicator is to continuously loop through these three questions during the conversation and stay attuned for changes and adapt as necessary.

Personally, I found the Afterword and, specifically, discussion of the Grant Study at Harvard the most fascinating. I’m intrigued by loneliness and its far-reaching effects on health. However, it is the lessons throughout the text which can be useful for those working to find more meaningful conversations no matter one’s age or interests.

This is the sort of book one can skim or read cover to cover. A quick read can give you quick tips and a deeper one will help you better understand and become a super communicator.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Power of Habit when I read it years ago, so I knew I would be picking up Duhigg’s latest work that uncovers the habits of Supercommunicators. The findings in this book may not be revolutionary, but the four main practices are easy to grasp and implement. Where Duhigg falls short in this book is his examples; in The Power of Habit, he selected perfect examples that hammered home his key points and stuck with you afterwards. The examples used in this book were a stretch — this will muddy my recall of the book’s learnings.

I was excited to get an ARC of this book, because I loved Duhigg's previous books, The Power of Habit and (especially) Smarter Faster Better. I am a pastor, and we have a wide range of responsibilities, almost no day-to-day management above us managing our time, and sometimes odd and changing hours. I have always been drawn to self-help and to productivity books, despite the fact that very few are actually really really good (Duhigg, Gregg McKeown, Cal Newport, Oliver Burkeman), and many are just poor (especially in times when book deals go to influencers with a single good TEDx talk or post).

In this book, I appreciate that Duhigg comes to his topic out of personal need. In professional and personal settings, he experienced his shortcomings as a communicator, and he saw how it affected others, and yet he knew that some people seem to get it. Chapter by chapter, he introduces interesting people and examples of "supercommunicators" at work in various fields. The stories are interesting, the prose is strong, the organization is good.

Ultimately, however, the book feels both overly narrow and not deep enough. I wanted him to go deeper, when he sometimes just summarizes the work of others, then moves on to practical tips. 3.5 stars.

I approached this book hoping to learn more about how to become a super communicator in my career. My job requires a lot of communication with different people across many different sectors. I liked this book overall, as it highlighted something that I think most don't -- there are people that are exceptional communicators and most don't recognize why. I feel like I have some of the skills of a supercommunicator and I was hoping this book would lend me a few more tips.

Overall, I don't think this gave any particularly insightful advice to improving your communication skills if you already have a basis in communications strategies. There were examples of super communicators, but no particularly advice in this book jumped out to me as something I needed to focus on.

With an elaborate development of a situation like the recruiting spy - almost as a fictional novel, many aspects of communication are explained in action as to how do you make impossible people your allies.

Five stars...Duhigg does it again! We are all communicators in some fashion and I am always looking for ways to listen and communicate better. This is a valuable resource full of great stories and helpful ideas on how to communicate better!

This is another solid book from Duhigg. His prose is easy to read and digest, this time about mastering communication with others. This is easily applicable to others and much needed in our current world of echo chambers and closed mindedness.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing.

Do you know that person that seems to be able communicate with everyone the meet? Is it because they are “popular” or ? Communication is not as good as it once was. There is texting, emails, increasing use of the internet, we often don’t listen to what the person is saying so we don’t connect. According to the author, one must understand there are three major areas: 1. practical, decision making conversations; 2. emotional conversations; 3. social conversations that involve our identities.. At the end of each chapter, there are. The author provides illustrative anecdotes. His focus on practical advice gives the essential tools for effective, positive conversations.

This book inspired to be kinder and to keep an eye out for the hidden depths in people in front of me. But as inspired as I was by this book, I felt it could have been more practical and actionable. Wonderful at helping diagnose the problem, but not sure it really changed me and spurred to change my relations with others. Still, a wonderfully inspiring book and hope I can still grow into a super communicator one day.

I really enjoyed reading “Supercommunicators” by Charles Duhigg. This book is packed with great stories and practical advice on how to become a better communicator. I loved the emphasis on pausing before speaking (something I find hard to do). I also loved his point that understanding whether you need to help, hug, or just listen can make a huge difference in connecting with others.

This book is a great reminder how small changes in the way we communicate can lead to much deeper and more meaningful conversations. The blend of engaging stories and actionable advice makes this book a valuable read for anyone looking to improve their communication skills. Definitely worth picking up!

I really enjoyed the author's book "The Power of Habit" and was thrilled to get an ARC from #Netgalley of his new book - "Supercommunicators". After reading the description, I decided to use this as a work team book discussion. I manage our people development and recruiting teams this book was so full of practical tips. The team enjoyed the types of conversations, the instructions for having them and all the supporting stories. We also talked quite a bit about the power of asking great questions and how that skill develops you as a leader. Highly recommend for individuals and team discussions.

I really liked this one a) because I work in communications & b) because communication is where so many things can fail.

"Supercommunicators" by Charles Duhigg explores the dynamics of effective communication, emphasizing the impact it can have on personal and professional relationships.

3 key takeaways:

📚 Layers of Conversation: Duhigg identifies three types of conversations: practical, emotional, and social. This framework helps in recognizing the underlying purposes and emotional currents of conversations, allowing for more meaningful interactions.

👂🏻Empathetic Listening and Questioning: By shifting from fact-based to open-ended questions, conversations can move beyond superficial exchanges to deeper, value-driven discussions. This not only fosters connection but also encourages an exchange of ideas and emotions.

🖊️ Practical Tools for Better Communication: Understanding the psychological underpinnings of how people interact and using this knowledge to create more effective dialogue. The emphasis is on building skills that allow individuals to express themselves clearly and understand others more fully.

whether in personal situations or business settings, the insights offered in this book can lead to more impactful & rewarding interactions.

Wouldn’t we all love to communicate better no matter what our roles are in life? The author summarizes it best in this book, “Because whether we call it love, or friendship, or simply having a great conversation, achieving connection—authentic, meaningful connection—is the most important thing in life.”
This book gives practical advice for improving your communication in every aspect of life. Would definitely recommend!

I loved this! This is certainly a book I recommend to anyone in the business world / people leaders. A great follow up to The Power of Habit!

How well do you communicate??? Want to improve?? Read this book.

How well do we connect with others while communicating? This was easier when I worked and most of the time we had common goals. Now I am retired and have not felt like I communicate as well as I used to. Reading this book has made me recognize the art of communicating, so I can improve.

This book provides practical information with examples on communicating with others. Sometimes we are so busy sharing our ideas that we forget to connect with others. Listening is so important. Being an active listener.

This is a great book to read once through and then keep on your shelf for reference in the future.

Supercommunicators is an excellent book on the art of communicating well. This is the first book that I read written by Charles Duhigg and I am impressed at his gift for combining storytelling and science.

Duhigg uses many research studies and real life examples from the CIA, NASA, Netflix, and a jury room to illustrate supercommunicatiors and how to improve your communication in all areas of life. The book begins describing that within every conversation, there are discussions that move from analytical to emotional to identity based. Then he talks about communication challenges and advises how to identify different conversations and how to navigate them. Duhigg looks at controversial topics including gun control, race and vaccines and demonstrates how to use principles to show how supercommunication can allow meaningful connections between people.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.